“They made him their main man, something he always wanted to be, and he has thrived.”

While talking up Arnautovic for a potential high-profile move that would keep him in English football, Crouch admits that an Asian adventure has always appealed to a man with eight goals to his name this season.

“The interest in him from the Chinese Super League does not surprise me,” added the Potters striker.

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“I remember talking to him about it a couple of years ago when their clubs started buying players such as Oscar and Ramires from Chelsea. China was definitely on his radar.”

Arnautovic joined West Ham in the summer of 2017 in a club-record £20 million ($26m) deal and signed a five-year contract upon his arrival.